1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to icons and similar types of graphical objects that are employed in a graphical user interface for computers. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a graphical user interface which displays variable size icons based on various user preferences and/or object characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rapid advance of computer technology has enabled computer programmers to greatly enhance the sophistication of their software programs. Yet, an increase in sophistication often brings an increase in application complexity. Such complexity often serves to confuse and frustrate computer users as they attempt to learn the operation of a new computer application, especially when the software manuals are large and burdensome to use.
The computer industry has attempted to address the above drawback by designing application programs with user-friendly display interfaces. Generally, the user-friendly paradigm aims to present information in the simplest and most intuitive fashion possible. This may be achieved by organizing information using a series of hierarchical menus or windows. Also, user-friendliness is promoted by including graphical metaphors in the user interface instead of nondescriptive command-line prompts. For example, images of file folders are used to identify containers for storage of information, and graphical depictions of trash containers are employed to assist in the disposal (e.g., deletion) of information.
Conventional graphical user interfaces make extensive use of icons within a computer display system. Graphical icons used on display screens in computer systems can represent physical objects in the system, such as storage media and servers, as well as electronic files that pertain to documents and computer applications selected by a user. The icons present a simple graphical metaphor to users that provide a basic description and/or function of the content of the object represented by the icon. Besides providing access to computer applications and documents, icons can be manually manipulated by a user to perform tasks easily. For example, an icon representing a text document can be selected by a mouse that is manipulated by a user, and be either placed onto another icon representing a word processing application or placed onto an icon of a printer which represents a printing application. Once placed on the printer icon or word processor icon, the document is printed or opened by the word processor, respectively.
Users have been permitted to personalize the graphical user interface, by enabling the user to both create and modify graphical icons for a variety of purposes. For example, facial features such as hair color, skin color and hair style of an icon image representing a human face can be edited. Many different icons can be employed within a computer system to graphically represent the presence of different applications and documents. Many of these icons are only changed slightly with respect to their appearance. An icon image can also change depending upon the status of the document or how the document is currently being employed with the computer system. For example, an object may have one icon image when it is not being used, and another slightly different icon that represents the same object when the object is being accessed or used.
An icon may give the user a basic idea of the functions that are performed by a program represented by the icon or the contents of documents represented by the icon. However, there has been no manner to describe the relative importance of programs or documents represented by icons. While individual labels (i.e., the ability to color icons) can be applied to icons to help classify icons, such categorization still does not provide an intuitive indication of the relative importance of the files or program represented by icons, since the user must remember which color is associated with which category.
To provide some flexibility to the user, the size of all icons in a system can be manually altered. However, currently there are essentially two nominal sizes for icons, typically denoted as small and large. For instance, in the Macintosh Operating System developed by Apple Computer, Inc., a small icon has a 16-by-16 pixel area representation and large icon has a 32-by-32 pixel area representation. A user can alter all icons of a display system from one size to another size based upon his or her preference. For example, if a user wishes to have small icons represented on a display system, he or she can employ a display option to have all icons displayed with 16-by-16 pixel icon sizes. Alternatively, if a user desires, the size of all icons in a display system can be increased to the larger pixel area. A user can change the size of the icons if, for example, hindered eyesight requires larger icons. However, such difference in size does not indicate the relative importance of the files or program represented by the icon, since the change in icon size is performed universally for all icons in a container, such as a folder or window. Accordingly, in order to present a more informative and personalized user interface, a manner of describing to a user relative importance of an icon in relation to other icons in a system is desirable.